Lessons From

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Lessons From
Go Fish
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Remember playing Go Fish as a child?
Even though it may have been a while, can still
recall the basics
Lets use the basics of Go Fish to learn some
simple lessons about evangelism
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When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John,
He promised to make them fishers of men
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And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two
brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his
brother, casting a net into the sea for they
were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me,
and I will make you fishers of men.
Matthew 418, 19
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When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John,
He promised to make them fishers of men
In giving them the great commission, He was in
essence commanding them to go fish
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Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you and,
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world. Amen. Matthew 2819, 20
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You Have to Ask For What You Want
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In Go Fish you have to ask for the card you want
The other players are not likely just to give you
what you want
With evangelism, you have to ask for what you want
If you want someone to come to church or have a
Bible study you have to ask them
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Although He was speaking particularly of prayer,
Jesus words in the sermon on the mount still
reveal this true principle regarding evangelism
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Ask, and it shall be given you seek, and ye
shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto
you For every one that asketh receiveth and he
that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened. Matthew 77, 8
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Although He was speaking particularly of prayer,
Jesus words in the sermon on the mount still
reveal this true principle regarding evangelism
James, the Lords half-brother, also relates the
truthfulness of this thought
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Ye lust, and have not ye kill, and desire to
have, and cannot obtain ye fight and war, yet ye
have not, because ye ask not.
James 42
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Although He was speaking particularly of prayer,
Jesus words in the sermon on the mount still
reveal this true principle regarding evangelism
James, the Lords half-brother, also relates the
truthfulness of this thought
We miss out on many opportunities simply because
we do not ask
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We need to be the church that Isaiah pictured in
prophecy and the church people John envisioned in
Revelation
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And it shall come to pass in the last days, that
the mountain of the Lords house shall be
established in the top of the mountains, and
shall be exalted above the hills and all nations
shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and
say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of
the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob and
he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in
his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the
law, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem. Isaiah 22, 3
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And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let
him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is
athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely. Revelation
2217
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We need to be the church that Isaiah pictured in
prophecy and the church people John envisioned in
Revelation
Isaiah pictured future Christians as inviting men
to come to the Lord, just as Philip did
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The day following Jesus would go forth into
Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him,
Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city
of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael,
and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom
Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write,
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And
Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing
come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come
and see. John 143-46
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We need to be the church that Isaiah pictured in
prophecy and the church people John envisioned in
Revelation
Isaiah pictured future Christians as inviting men
to come to the Lord, just as Philip did
Philip didnt argue with Nathanael about the
matter he simply invited him to come see for
himself he asked for what he wanted
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He was convinced that Nathanael would soon be
just as convinced as he was if he would only come
and see the Lord for himself
John records another instance of an invitation
extended and accepted
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The woman then left her waterpot, and went her
way into the city, and saith to the men, Come,
see a man, which told me all things that ever I
did is not this the Christ? Then they went out
of the city, and came unto him.
John 428-30
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He was convinced that Nathanael would soon be
just as convinced as he was if he would only come
and see the Lord for himself
John records another instance of an invitation
extended and accepted
Because this woman simply asked, many found the
Lord
Today, we seem to be waiting for others to ask us
if they can attend worship or study with us
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However, just like in Go Fish, we must ask for
what we want
We must be the ones to do the approaching and
asking
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You Can Only Ask For What You Have
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In Go Fish, you can only ask for a match to a
card you already hold in your hand
With evangelism, we must hold that for which we
are asking
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But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be
ready always to give an answer to every man that
asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear I Peter
315
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In Go Fish, you can only ask for a match to a
card you already hold in your hand
With evangelism, we must hold that for which we
are asking
If we want others to submit to Christ, we must be
submissive to Him our own lives
We cant expect others to embrace a hope that we
ourselves do not have
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To whom God would make known what is the riches
of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory Whom
we preach, warning every man, and teaching every
man in all wisdom that we may present every man
perfect in Christ Jesus Colossians
127, 28
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Just like Go Fish, you can only ask of others
what you yourself already possess
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You Must Ask Before Others Do
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In Go Fish, other players are also looking for
cards
In fact, they may be looking for some of the same
cards you are
In evangelism, must realize that others are
looking for converts, too
Likely seeking some of the same people we are
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We must be diligent to be the first to ask
Jesus revealed the seriousness of the situation
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Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye compass sea and land to make one
proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him
twofold more the child of hell than
yourselves. Matthew 2315
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We must be diligent to be the first to ask
Jesus revealed the seriousness of the situation
While saints are seeking to open mens eyes to
truth, Satan is seeking to blind them
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But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that
are lost In whom the god of this world hath
blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest
the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who
is the image of God, should shine unto
them. II Corinthians 43, 4
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Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour I Peter 58
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We must be diligent to be the first to ask
Jesus revealed the seriousness of the situation
While saints are seeking to open mens eyes to
truth, Satan is seeking to blind them
The doctrines of men will not save must be
diligent in finding prospects before others do
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Just like Go Fish, we must ask before others do
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You Must Ask Different People
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In Go Fish, there are generally from 3-6 players
If you ask one person for a card and he doesnt
have it, you dont give up the search
When it is your turn again, you ask someone else
In evangelism, we must approach different people
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What we may not find in one place, we may find in
another
Paul and Barnabas knew this quite well
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But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were
filled with envy, and spake against those things
which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and
blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold,
and said, It was necessary that the word of God
should first have been spoken to you but seeing
ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy
of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Acts 1345, 46
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What we may not find in one place, we may find in
another
Paul and Barnabas knew this quite well
In the parable of the marriage feast, Jesus
portrayed this same concept
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The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain
king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent
forth his servants to call them that were bidden
to the wedding and they would not come. Again,
he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them
which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my
dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and
all things are ready come unto the marriage. But
they made light of it, and went their ways,
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one to his farm, another to his merchandise And
the remnant took his servants, and entreated them
spitefully, and slew them. But when the king
heard thereof, he was wroth and he sent forth
his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and
burned up their city. Then saith he to his
servants, The wedding is ready, but they which
were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into
the highways, and as many as ye shall
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find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went
out into the highways, and gathered together all
as many as they found, both bad and good and the
wedding was furnished with guests.
Matthew 222-10
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What we may not find in one place, we may find in
another
Paul and Barnabas knew this quite well
In the parable of the marriage feast, Jesus
portrayed this same concept
Today, we give up far too easily
Just like Go Fish, we must ask different people
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You May Have to Ask More Than Once
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In Go Fish, you may have to ask the same player
for a certain card more than once
The fact that he doesnt have a certain card at
one point in the game doesnt mean he wont have
it later
The cards in each players hand change throughout
the game
In evangelism, we may have to ask the same person
more than once in order to get results
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Jesus implied such in His in words from the
sermon mount
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Suffix suggests repeated or continual action
Ask, and it shall be given you seek, and ye
shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto
you For every one that asketh receiveth and he
that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened. Matthew 77, 8
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Jesus implied such in His in words from the
sermon mount
Those who hope to receive must ask over and over
Not only is this true in prayer, but also in
personal evangelism
Over time, circumstances can change and those who
once were not receptive can become receptive to
the seed of truth
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Just like Go Fish, we may have to ask more than
once
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Evangelism is a lot like Go Fish
You have to ask for what you want
You can only ask for what you have
You must ask before others do
You must ask different people
You may have to ask more than once
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From an article by Wade Webster- Power 2008